stancliff



(No Model.)

E. STANOLIIF.

STAGE SGENBRY HOLDER.

No. 469,726. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.

Invanhnp Edwin SEanpIJ H Witnesses:

m Q 3f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN STANCLIFF, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

STAG E-SCEN ERY HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,726, dated March 1, 1892. Application filed November 28, 1891. Serial No. 413,416. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDWIN STANCLIFF, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stage-Scenery Holders, of which the following is a, specification.

My invention is an improvement in stagescenery holders, which consists of a base-strip to be laid on the stage-floor and held in place by the scenic wing or flat which is to be supported, in combination with a supporting arm or brace detachably connected to the flat and the strip, and in certain details hereinafter more specifically designated.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of my device and a flat sustained thereby. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a modification and two flats supported thereby. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a joint in the brace.

A is the flat; B, the base-strip; O, the brace, which is shown as an extension-brace. The base-strip B, in the form shown in Fig. 1, has at one or both ends a hook D, which. preferably is turned in toward the middle of the stri E is a guard-spring at the point of the hook to prevent the end of the brace from slipping off from the hook. On the strip at the place where the flat is to stand may be placed lugs to indicate where the base of the flat should be set and to keep it from slipping along the base-strip. These are not necessary, but are useful; but I prefer a pivoted pocket F, which turns on an axis that lies in the direction of the length of the strip, so that the pocket cannot fall forward, being prevented from doing so by the end of the strip, which projects in front of it, and it is prevented from falling backward by the brace. Of course it is not essential that the weight of the flat shall rest on the strip when the flat is in its erect position. The flat may be notched at its base to fit over the strip and rest on the stage-floor. All that is necessary is that the weight shall be thrown onto the strip if the flat begins to fall and lift the strip on an end. The strip shown in Fig. 2 is intended to support two flats. At the two ends are shoulders H H, against which the bottom of the flats abut, and in the middle are one or more hooks D, to which the extension-arms are attached. The ends of this strip may taper so that the flat shall readily slip onto the strip, and in front of each shoulder is the free end of a latch attached to the under side of the strip, and which can be depressed by abuttonK K to release the flat. The brace is an extension-arm of ordinary form, except that I introduce along its length, preferably near its lower end, a swivel-joint L, so thatthe'eye on the end of the brace can be brought into po sition to engage with the hook D without turning the rod. The swivel-joint may be of ordinary construction, but I show a novel form. The arm is divided at the joint, and at the end of one piece is a tongue which fits into a socket at the end of the other piece. The tongue is circled by a groove M, and in the socket-piece is bored a hole, which cuts the wall of the socket tangentially, and into which is slipped a pin N, the side of which engages with the groove and prevents the tongue from being withdrawn, but permits the rotation of the two pieces independently of each other. On the sides of the extensionarm are hooks (of which only one 0 is shown) for additional braces, which may be carried to the edges orother desired parts of the flats.

It will be seen that by means of my invention the flats are readily and securely set in place without the necessity of driving screws into the stage floor or carpet. As the strip, brace, and flat are loosely united and the brace has both swivel and extension joints, the apparatus is readily adjusted to any desired arrangement of the scenery.

It is obvious that many changes may be introducedwithout losing these useful results or departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the forms shown.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In a stage-scenery holder, the combination of a base-strip and one or more flats detachably attached thereto and one or more braces detachably connected to the brace-strip and flat or flats, substantially as described.

2. In a stage-scenery holder, the combination of a base'strip and one or more braces detachably connected therewith, with one or more flats loosely rested over the strip and detachably connected with the braces, substantially as described.

3. In a stagescenery holder, the combination of a base-strip and a hook thereon, with a brace having a swivel-joint and an eye to engage with the hook, substantially as described.

4. In a stage-scenery holder, a base-strip having a pivoted pocket for the corner of the flat, reversible to right and left, substantially as described.

5. In a stage-scenery holder, a brace having a tongue-and-socket joint, a groove about the tongue, a hole in the wall of the socket which cuts into the socket tangentially, and a pin the side of which engages with the groove when inserted in the hole, substantially as described.

Subscribed by me in New York city this 27th day of November, 1891.

EDWIN STANGLIFF. Inpresence of THOMAS EWING, J r., SAMUEL W. BALCH. 

